'One Tree Hill' Through The Years: The Evolution Of Julian Baker

Season 6: Shady Julian

I don’t know if it was the buzz cut or the mysterious connection to Peyton (Hilarie Burton), but when we first met Julian in season six, he was far from the warm-and-fuzzy gentlemen he is now. I, for one, still haven’t forgiven him for sleeping with that Brooke-alike. But with a little help from Victoria (Daphne Zuniga) and Nick Lachey, Brooke (Sophia Bush) was able to show him the error of his ways. Cue the fairytale ending (that probably should have been the actual ending.)

Season 7: ‘Flawed’ Julian

I think I spent most of season seven yelling at Julian through my TV — things like “No!” and “Why?” and “You idiot!” Rather than make it clear he had no interest in Alex (Jana Kramer) whatsoever, he allowed himself to get too close, which only pushed Brooke (Sophia Bush) further away. “He wanted to help her,” Austin told HollywoodLife.com. “He wanted to be nice, to be friends. That was the only time we really saw Julian show a flaw.” Fortunately everything turned out right in the end: Not only did his movie score big at Sundance, but he also slipped a big fat ring on Brooke’s finger!

Season 8: Perfect Julian

One Tree Hill has a knack for creating male characters that are literally too perfect — and that definitely describes Julian in season eight. Not only did he give Brooke (Sophia Bush) her fairytale wedding, but he also defied God and science by getting her pregnant. Oh, did I mention he saved her life? That was Austin’s favorite episode that season. “It was really challenging to watch your fiancée almost die in front of you and then come back,” he told HollywoodLife.com. “That was … hard and satisfying in the end. It's … scary to go to those places.”

Season 9: ‘Tragic’ Julian

As if Julian getting pummeled in the first two minutes of the premiere wasn’t enough of a clue, this is going to be a dark season for Julian — and it’s all been triggered by his tragic mistake of leaving baby Davis in the car. “Julian really … puts a lot of blame on himself for this thing that happens,” Austin told HollywoodLife.com. “As an actor, it's been great. I've really gotten to go to a different place that I haven't gone to before on this show.”

When you think about how much we’ve seen Julian (Austin Nichols) evolve since he arrived in Tree Hill, it’s hard to believe he’s been on the show for less than four seasons. Of course, considering One Tree Hill‘s penchant for time jumps, we’ve pretty much known Julian for a decade. Or two. And as we head deeper into the show’s final season, HollywoodLife.com is taking a look back at Julian’s growth, with insight that Austin himself gave us during our recent visit to One Tree Hill‘s North Carolina set.

OK, now that we’ve walked down memory lane with Julian, head to the comments section and tell us what you really think about him. Did you hate him when he first arrived in Tree Hill? And what’s your favorite Julian moment from the past four seasons?